Awosika Urges FG To Engage Citizens In Reform Process

A former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service, Dr Dere Awosika, said public sector reforms must reflect citizens’ needs and realities to achieve their intended objectives.
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‎Awosika said governments must consult affected communities and public servants before implementing reforms, rather than impose policies without understanding the challenges they face.
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‎She spoke on Friday while featuring on the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation podcast, Reform Is Not a Guessing Game.
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According to her, consultation would help reformers identify institutional weaknesses, understand the interests of stakeholders and develop implementation strategies suited to local realities.
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‎“Reforms are not supposed to be a pass down of instructions. It’s supposed to be a discussion on the weaknesses, identify them, and see that the goals that you set to meet are not being met,” she said.
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‎Awosika, Chief Executive Officer of Josephine Consulting Ltd, said her experience leading polio eradication efforts in Nigeria showed the importance of engaging communities in public programmes.
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‎She explained that working with traditional and religious leaders helped address concerns and build acceptance of vaccination.
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‎“We need to build trust with the citizenry. They cannot believe us unless we trust them,” she said.
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‎Also speaking, an economist and policy strategist, Dr Akin Olusoji-Akinyele, said governments must obtain feedback from beneficiaries throughout the reform process to determine whether policies were meeting their needs.
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‎“The reform itself is not complete until the beneficiary has given you some form of feedback as to whether this is working,” he said.
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